Mid-Week Waiver Wire Rankings: Fantasy Baseball Pickups for Week 22

August 27, 2026

Mid-week fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings for Week 22 (2026). Free-agent hitters and pitchers to add include Jacob Lopez, Clay Holmes, Hogan Harris, Rafael Flores Jr., George Lombard Jr., and Abimelic Ortiz.

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to more fantasy baseball waiver wire advice. The 2026 MLB season is winding down, as August ends on Monday. We have about a month left in the season, and it's time to add players who could help for that fantasy baseball championship run. Today, we return with more waiver wire advice with our mid-week fantasy baseball waiver rankings for Week 22—August 24 through August 30—in leagues that allow daily moves. Our waiver wire list has been updated to include the top 100 hitters and pitchers to pick up in free agency.

This week, no top prospects were called up, but MLB will be expanding its rosters soon. For injuries, the Marlins placed closer Pete Fairbanks on the injured list with right medial nerve irritation. Byron Buxton, Adley Rutschman, Michael Massey, and Jordan Lawlar are day-to-day with injuries.

Stay on top of our weekly waiver wire rankings and turn on MLB news alerts in our free mobile app to stay ahead of the curve. Once you're done here, check out our fantasy baseball prospects articles for the latest names to stash and pick up.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups List

Since many fantasy baseball leagues have daily waiver-wire moves or multiple waiver-wire runs per week for adding players, this early-week rankings list should help you keep track of players emerging in the middle of the week before we reach Sunday. This article will guide you through our weekly ranking of the relevant waiver-wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league (depending on the league size).

Waiver wire pickup options, including how to prioritize them for your league - depending on the league size:

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlooks

Some of the top waiver wire names include Clay Holmes, Hogan Harris, Rafael Flores Jr., George Lombard Jr., Abemelic Ortiz and more. Read some of the waiver wire outlooks below:

Clay Holmes, Chicago Cubs

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Clay Holmes missed nearly three months this season after suffering a fractured fibula in mid-May. However, the 33-year-old has been highly effective when healthy, recording a 5-6 record with a 2.49 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 50 strikeouts across 68 2/3 innings (12 starts). Holmes has also pitched well since being acquired by Chicago from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, pitching to a 2.81 ERA across his first 16 innings (three starts) with the Cubs.

Holmes is a ground-ball specialist who pitches to contact, so fantasy managers should not expect high-end production in the strikeout department. However, the veteran right-hander's pitch efficiency allows him to work deep into games, which gives him a good chance to rack up wins while pitching in Chicago. In leagues where he is not already rostered, Holmes profiles as an obvious waiver wire target.

Hogan Harris, Athletics

Across 56 2/3 innings (60 games) this season, Athletics left-hander Hogan Harris has recorded a 3.65 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 75 strikeouts, and 13 saves. The 29-year-old's elevated WHIP is largely due to his 13.5% walk rate. However, Harris mitigates the damage of his free passes to some extent with his stellar 29.0% strikeout rate.

Most importantly for fantasy managers, Harris appears to have established himself as the A's preferred ninth-inning option at this point in the season. Four of his 13 saves have come in August, and he's pitched in the ninth inning in six out of his last seven appearances. While fantasy managers should be prepared to absorb some ratio damage, Harris profiles as a quality source of both strikeouts and saves to target on the waiver wire in deeper league formats.

Rafael Flores Jr., Pittsburgh Pirates

Across 73 plate appearances since being promoted from Triple-A earlier this year, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores Jr. is hitting .266/.356/.594 with six home runs, 14 RBI, and 10 runs scored. The 25-year-old has struggled with swing-and-miss, striking out in 30.1% of his plate appearances. However, his underlying batted-ball metrics suggest elite power upside, as he's logged a 19.0% barrel rate and a 45.2% hard-hit rate.

Flores Jr. has also demonstrated an ability to get on base that provides him with a high floor at the plate. He's posted a 12.3% walk rate in the big leagues and recorded a 16.7% walk rate across 276 plate appearances at Triple-A before getting promoted. Flores Jr. is not known as a plus defender behind the plate, which held down his prospect stock during his time in the minors.

Still, Pittsburgh has been willing to try him out at first base, which gives him a higher playing time ceiling than most catchers. In leagues where he's not already rostered, Flores Jr. has clear waiver wire appeal.

George Lombard Jr., New York Yankees

New York Yankees rookie infield prospect George Lombard Jr. has looked like he belongs in the big leagues through his first 59 at-bats and 17 games played. Lombard is slashing .288/.348/.407 with a .755 OPS, two home runs, a double, five RBI, 12 runs scored, and a stolen base in his 66 plate appearances since being called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 4.

The team's top overall prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is deserving of more attention off the waiver wire in fantasy baseball leagues for the final month of the regular season in September. The 21-year-old former first-rounder in 2023 hit .284/.411/.498 with a .909 OPS, 12 home runs, 33 RBI, 14 stolen bases, and 65 runs scored in 78 games and 358 plate appearances at three minor-league levels this year before the Yankees brought him up to take over as their everyday shortstop.

Lombard's power is still maturing, but it is his advanced plate approach that is more impressive, allowing him to draw plenty of walks and get on base consistently. Fantasy managers looking for infield help should look no further than Lombard, who is still rostered in under half of Yahoo leagues.

Abimelec Ortiz, Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals rookie first baseman/outfielder Abimelec Ortiz can be a nice under-the-radar source of power for fantasy managers in deeper leagues for the rest of the 2026 season. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting Puerto Rican made his major-league debut on July 12 but was sent back to the minors immediately. He resurfaced in the majors on Aug. 3, although he has gone only 12-for-60 (.200) at the plate in 19 games and 63 plate appearances; he has added five home runs and nine RBI for the Nats.

Per MLB Pipeline, Ortiz is ranked as the club's No. 19 prospect. The 5-foot-10, 230-pounder hit .244/.348/.497 with an .845 OPS, 18 home runs, 74 RBI, and 55 runs scored in 85 games across 365 plate appearances at Triple-A Rochester before getting the call again in early August.

Ortiz packs a punch with plus raw power from the left side, and he consistently knows how to access his pull power. Plate discipline is not his strong suit, but with 25-30-homer power over a full season, fantasy managers in deeper leagues seeking pop may want to give Ortiz a look. He is rostered in 14% of Yahoo leagues.

First Base Waiver Wire Rankings

Pickups are in priority order:

Second Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Third Base Waiver Wire Rankings

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Shortstop Waiver Wire Rankings

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Outfield Waiver Wire Rankings

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Catcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Starting Pitcher Waiver Wire Rankings

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Relief Pitcher/Closer Waiver Wire Rankings

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Who Should I Pickup Fantasy Baseball Tool

Trying to decide who to pick up off the waiver wire? Check the Who Should I Pickup tool:

Who Should I Pickup?

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2026 Player Decisions. Today's focus is on specific players, including George Lombard Jr., Zack Gelof, Jacob Lopez, Hogan Harris, Kade Anderson, Max Clark, Rafael Flore Jr., Clay Holmes, Abimelic Ortiz, Spencer Jones, Griffin Conine, Cam Smith, Henry Bolte, Zac Veen, George Klassen, Ben Joyce, David Peterson, Jackson Holliday, Brandyn Garcia, Jordan Romano, Clayton Beeter, and Walker Jenkins. These are some common searches for 2026 fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups.

Using The Tool. This is a simple tool but very powerful. The first step is to enter the player names that you want to compare. In the first box, search for the first player's name. In the second box, search for the second player's name. Compare up to four MLB players at once, and then click the Who To Pickup? button to see who the recommended waiver wire pickups are based on fantasy baseball rankings, projections, and more.

Improvements For Who Should I Pickup? You may have noticed, our Who Should I Pickup? tool has gotten an overhaul. We've added lots of great features for you to give you as much information as possible to win on the waiver wire in 2026. You'll see MLB player tiles with stats, projections, and a slick new interface. We hope you enjoy!

How It Works. Our RotoBaller staff puts together their weekly fantasy baseball waiver wire rankings and projections based on their research, and updates them constantly throughout the week. That information is the core data that is powering the decision-making in this tool. When you search for player names, you will only see those players who are ranked.

Popular Player Comparison Searches - Who To Pickup

Below are some popular searches and comparisons from our Who To Pickup tool for 2026 for players like George Lombard Jr., Zack Gelof, Jacob Lopez, Hogan Harris, Kade Anderson, Max Clark, Rafael Flore Jr., Clay Holmes, Abimelic Ortiz, Spencer Jones, Griffin Conine, Cam Smith, Henry Bolte, Zac Veen, George Klassen, Ben Joyce, David Peterson, Jackson Holliday, Brandyn Garcia, Jordan Romano, Clayton Beeter, and Walker Jenkins.: